Just a small blip [Claimed by Coffee]

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Ten nights. He had been on the road, for the past ten nights, heading north. Radar Dish had traveled quite far. He didn't even know where the colony's cave was now. He just knew he had to go towards the north star. His father taught him that much. Travel north and you will be found. But by the Lady, he was getting tired of walking. His pack was filled a bit too much to fly. As he came around the bend in the road he felt a rumbly in his tummy and went to the side of the road. Removing his back, he pulled out bitty bear and an apple, splitting it in half and eating half of the apple. Radar sighed. He was hurty and tired. Even after he slept, he felt tired and wanted to cry. But he couldn't, he had to find his family. He had to find somepony who might know where they were. He had to find a new home. After eating half of the apple, he grabbed the other half, not realizing he did and just started to cry as he ate it. After eating it, he went to move the core into the bush so it didn't get in the way of other travelers. However he found two cores. Oh no, he ate a whole apple. Checking hsi bag, he saw he only had a plum, a bunch of grabes and a mango left. That was it? No this was supposed to last him all month. He slumped defeated and then crawled into the empty side that had his blanket and curled up. For any other traveler, it would look like an abandoned saddle pack. But as one got closer, the sounds of crying could be heard even as the bat slept.

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The sun was rising in a pale, washed out sky. Though her breath steamed in the air, and the dirt of the road was stiff with frost, Lazuli trotted along the road bravely, moved by an unknown inspiration to break camp early. Perhaps it was because the overcast sky threatened more snow. It would be nice to get further along and find a nicer place to camp before it began. The crystal filly was just wondering if she might stop a little earlier this time and try making a shelter from the snow... she did hate to be cold and wet, as well as tired, when she heard a strange sound. Instantly, she froze, her coat darkening as though to try and camouflage her. There it was again. It didn't sound dangerous, and it didn't seem to be caused by her, so she could probably move on. But Lazuli Rose was a child, and curiosity made her listen and look around, where an adult would probably have moved on. She found the source quite quickly, an old battered saddlebag, almost empty on one side. Lazuli gingerly lifted the flap on the other, and discovered the source of the sobbing sound. A little bat, weeping in his sleep. This was a sadly familiar sight to the crystal filly. In a childhood shadowed by that dark king, crying oneself to sleep was sometimes the only way to get any rest. But the memories of doing so twisted her heart. Gently, she stroked the mane of her discovery. But it didn't seem to help. Lazuli closed her eyes a moment and thought of Topaz. She always knew what to do when it came to sad foals. What would she do? The answer came back instantly, and, without giving herself time to think about it, Lazuli acted. Wrapping her forelegs around Radar, she pulled him out of his bag and cuddled him, bundling the two of them in her oversized cloak. The crystal filly glowed softly as she held this sad little colt and hummed her favorite of Topaz's lullabies.

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The tear streaks in hsi fur suggested he had been crying for a few hours now. A bit of frost even collected on the trails for the moment the bag flap was lifted.He quieted a little as she stroked his short mane, but it didn't stop the restless sleep, but the hug and gently lullabye quieted him down a bit, giving him a moment peace before, he started to feel not right. It wasn't how he was laying down before. As he slowly opened his eyes, he noticed a glimmering coat and the small (yet still larger than him) torso he was clung to. The warmth of something wrapped around him and the one holding him seeped into his slightly frozen body. As his head looked up, he blinked a few times. The sun, while obscured by the Snow Clouds, still dimmed his night vision so all he got was a silohuette. As he tried to focus he just asked. "Mommy? Is that you? Whewe did you and the colony go to, Mommy?" His body was a little cold, but warming up slightly. His wings started to wrap around Lazuli under the blanket as did his forelegs so he could hug his Mommy. He missed her so much as she had found him when everything was cold and hurting. He could finally go back to his family. He could show he was a big colt who can gather fruit and survive by himself if there was trouble. "Mommy, Why awe you glowy? I can't see to well because i'm tiwed and the sun is up." With that he let out a small squeeky yawn and curled up against Lazuli. His head nuzzling into her chest. "I love you Mommy. I won't go into the cave alone anymowe without Daddy and Uncle Wuby Whizz."

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Lazuli was not his mommy, and she was painfully aware of that. She'd never even seen a batpony before now, and it was only because of his little tiny wings that she knew him from a Pegasus. She didn't know anything more than that. Not where to look to find his mommy. Or his daddy. Or his uncle. She didn't know what to say, or how to comfort him, other than to cling a little closer and share all the warmth of body she possessed. Even she could surely do something to help. As she rested her chin on the top of his head, lightly, A first warning flake of snow drifted from the sky and poised, delicately, on her nose. A reminder to her that she'd better look out for them both. It was going to snow again soon, and out in the open was no place for little foals to be. Twisting slightly, Lazuli felt the weight of her little companion pull on her as she scanned the nearby landscape for someplace promising. There was a cluster of large rocks there, and a small opening... but she could tell that the wind was blowing straight into it. That wouldn't be any good. How about that hollow log, on the other side of the road? Well... they could both fit into it, one at a time, but there'd be no room to move around. And it might get completely buried in snow if it fell as heavily as she thought it was going to. Her gaze flicked to the dead tree that the log had broken from. An ancient oak, with a wide trunk. Easily over hundreds of years old. A thick, tough vine, probably a wild rose vine, climbed it for twelve feet or so, to the point where the log's branch had broken off. A gust of wind tugged at the vine, and Lazuli's gaze sharpened instantly. Had she seen, just for a moment, a dark shadow underneath the vine? A shadow that might suggest a depression, maybe even a hollow or an old animal den where two little ponies could shelter in? She had to go see. But she didn't want to abandon her little friend in the cold, not even for a moment. Glancing from him to the tree, The crystal filly un-cinched her own set of saddle bags. Then, as gently as she could, she pulled the little batling around until he clung to her back, safely hidden from the cold underneath her cloak. She tried standing, cautiously, and was relieve to find that she could. He was heavier than she expected. And he was closer to her size than she had realized, too. Somehow, Lazuli had expected to be... bigger. But, thank her crystal pony hardiness, it was manageable. She couldn't carry anything else, so further travel was impossible, but she could carry him. Once she'd crossed the road and the other ditch, the way was easier. The oak had seemed to grow on its own little hill, as they so often do, but it wasn't so steep that climbing was impossible. Sometimes old emerging roots tried to trip up her feet, but she was walking so carefully already that they failed to slow her any further. And ...yes, that was a hollow place, underneath a tangle of thorny vines. Lazuli cautiously pushed some of the vines aside so that she could slip in. It wasn't perfectly round, the way you'd expect such hollows to be, but irregular, puddle shaped. More than big enough for both of them, maybe even a little fire, if she could get one going. A fire would give a little light, it was dim in here. The vines would hide them from both weather and any dangerous things, but it also blocked the light. Just what they needed. Lazuli sat down again and unfastened her cloak before trying to peel Radar off. She'd wrap him up tight in it so he'd stay warm without her, and then she'd run and get their bags, and some dry sticks and twigs, just in case. If she could get her little companion off.

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Radar didn't even realize what was going on as he was manuevered onto Lazuli's back and walked across the road. All he was thinking was he was safe with his mother at the moment. And soon he would be home with the colony. The cloak over him helped him feel a little warmer and he snuggled down to try and be as small as possible while she moved. And soon enough, the bumpy ride was over as they came to rest in a small cave. As he slipped off and out from under the cloak, his eyes adjusted. When he looked up to see his mother's smiling face, he saw that the pony he was clutching so tightly was not only not his mother, but not even a batpony. It was a Crystal Filly. He didn't realize Daywalkers came like this. Perhaps she was a unicorn who had a spell backfire on her. Or she cast the spell like this. When he watched her step back outside, he followed her to the vines only to stop at them. It seemed she was busy. And one thing he learned from his mother was sometimes the best way to help when someone is busy is to stay back. But once he saw her gathering dry wood, he turned back into the "cave" and started clearing an area in the center. A few loose small stones were gathered from around the floor and placed in a small circle. Once it looked good, he went over to the back end away from the opening and started stomping around on the ground. Each stomp seemed to break up the dirt underneath a bit more and made the area a little softer to lay on. He looked up and saw the top wasn't exactly bat hang friendly. So he stomped out a little more so both of them could rest there. With everything done, he sat there next to the ring of stones and looked at the enterance, waiting for the filly to return. His head up, back straight, wings folded against his side and tail swishing a bit behind him. He knew he had been helpful and was waiting to see the pony's face when she got back. Hopefully if he was helpful enough, she wouldn't run out on him during the day. If he was helpful enough to this pony, maybe his parents would see that and would come get him. If he was helpful enough...He sat there, a smile on his face to welcome her back but a small tear still in his eye.

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The first task was to get the saddlebags. Both his and hers. Lazuli shivered as she faced the wintery wind without her cloak, but it still wasn't as bad as it got outside the crystal empire. Sometimes, she thought they should be known more like snow-crystals than stone crystals. Picking up Radar's adult-sized bags, she noted that it was unbalanced, and, without any qualms about privacy or asking permission, she looked inside and found his fruit. Well, that contributed to part of the reason he'd been crying. If this was all he had left, and no wonder, carrying it around like that... Or had he been left behind? The very thought made her glitter with indignant annoyance for him. Who could leave such a little baby behind on his own out here? No, he must have walked this far. Anypony with the meanness to leave him behind wouldn't have been kind enough to leave him any food. That settled to her own mind, Lazuli nodded and draped his saddlebags on top of her own, on her back. It wasn't nearly as good as a cloak, but the bigger bags blocked some of the wind, at least! As she came up the hill to the oak tree again, she spotted wide yellow eyes watching her from behind the vines. The cat's-eye pupil was startlingly different and almost, if she hadn't remembered how small he was- almost a little frightening. But as she stopped to collect fallen oak twigs, dried leaves, chunks of rotting wood from the fallen log, stuffing it all in the empty side of his saddlebags, he disappeared inside. When the load got too heavy and too full for her to carry much further, she followed him in and saw why. Ah... he had been busy neatening up their shelter! Lazuli gave the bat pony a warm, approving smile. "That's good!" she told him. "I thought we might have a little fire... its going to get colder than it is already, soon." Lazuli thought she saw a strange, wavering quality about his smile, and it reminded her too much of smiles she'd seen on other foals in the crystal empire... in the bad days. She slid the saddlebags off, came over to him quickly, and pulled him into a tight hug, as if she could crush away the sadness. "It's going to be okay" she whispered. "Don't worry. Its going to be okay."

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Crushing did happen. He was caught off guard by the sudden hug from the sparkly pony. His wings were getting a bit sore from the hug, but he felt he needed to hug her back. He wasn't quite sure why, but his forelegs came up and wrapped around her, squeezing back as he rested his head under her chin. When she told him it was going to be alright. This hit the dam of sadness he had and the eruption was monumental...well for a six year old. He started to cry, letting all of his tears from the past ten days out. As he cried he thought about the traveling and what he had done and still had left to do. Each thought brought more tears and he started to shrink down in the hug. Night time was supposed to be fun time. This time he was getting ready to go play bugball. But now he was hear, wearing another pony's cloak, being hugged and crying inside a ground hole. Eventually he was able to get enough bearing to look up and out the vines to see the weatehr outside. "Whewe awe you gowing?"

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"Whewe awe you gowing?" Lazuli followed his gaze, looked at the snow, which was just beginning to fall in earnest now, and smiled at him. "Nowhere at all, until the snow lets up." she assured the little fellow cheerfully. Reaching for his saddlebags, she carefully unpacked the sticks, twigs, and branches she'd collected and made neat piles of them near, but not too near, the firepit he'd made. She used the dried grass and leaves she'd found and set up a fire ready to kindle. "Lets not start the fire until we really need it," she explained to Radar, "We gotta save it for the coldest part of the storm." From her own saddlebags, she extracted a warm, tightly folded wool blanket, which she spread out in a place that looked especially good for sleeping. She sprawled out on it, then patted a place next to her, inviting Radar to snuggle up again. "I'm heading east from Canterlot, on my way to Hollow Shades,"Lazuli explained with a little pride, pleased to be discussing her travels just like a grown up. "I've heard that there are magical mushrooms in the forest around the town. I'm hoping I can find one that will make me into a unicorn!" Important details such as how one would know a poisonous mushroom from a magical mushroom, and how one would know, by looking, that said magical mushroom would turn oneself into a unicorn and not, for instance, a frog- these had not yet occurred to Lazuli. Her smile grew dreamy and her coat shimmered softly as she sighed happily. "When I'm a unicorn, I will do wonderful magic to help ponies, just like the Princesses. talking of helping ponies reminded her of the situation, and she looked solemnly at Radar. "Where are you going, and how long have you been traveling?" Lazuli asked, her violet eyes bright with concern. It couldn't have been very long, his fruit, raw thought it was, was still edible, though those grapes looked a bit wrinkly and wilty.

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After the unloading of his bag of sticks and twigs, Radar knocked the bag over and casually walked in under the flap. He saw his blanket and bitty bear covered in tree bark and dirt. He flapped his wings to dust off the two. His bitty bear then getting tucked under his wing, before gripping a corner of his blanket and pulling on it with his teeth. His goal was to pull it out of the bag, but he happened to be standing on it for a few seconds. The struggle caused the bag to shake a bit before he emerged from the flap, pulling the baby blue fabric along the ground as he walked backwards. He made hsi way clsoer and then shook the balnket from side to side to get off the dirt and tossed it up over Lazuli. When she patted the spot next to him, he burrowed in under the blanket from the side and kept hsi head under while cosying up to her side. So she was heading to some place called hollow Shades. That sounded really cool. There should definitly be a bat colony near there. And her reason was pretty neat too. She wants to be a unicorn to help other ponies like the Lady and her less powerful sister. He had no issues hearing her through the blanket, his large ears easily picking up her speech. As he had finally found a place to be comfortable at, she asked him where he was going and how long he had been out. "I'm heading nowth. Daddy said if I go nowth, I will be found. But it's been ten days now." He sniffled thinking of this and pulled his bitty bear from under his wing and cuddled it under his chin. As he pressed hsi head into the very small toy, his mane would have gone up and down the Sparkly one's side.

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Ten days... yes, that would make sense. Lazuli tried to estimate about how far this little pony could have walked in ten days. And then something else occurred to her. "Well," Lazuli said, softly, "I found you... So I guess he was right? My name is Lazuli Rose, but you can call me Laz~" the little crystal filly absentmindedly tucked the blanket around them just a little more tightly, to keep any sneaky drafts out, then reached for and added her own cloak on top. The blankets were creating a shared pocket of warmth, and she then tucked her forelegs in, to warm them. "I suppose you could keep going north, but..." Lazuli's tone held an anxious, uncertain note, "You're too far out of the way east to come across Canterlot. And I don't think you'll hit another city before... well, before you run out of food. It's awful to be hungry." Almost protectively, she snuggled a little closer. "You could travel to Hollow Shades with me..." Lazuli suggested. She felt a little guilty though, so she quickly added, "And you can share my food, too. And if you want, after I'm done there, I'll take you to Canterlot. Maybe we can talk to the Princesses and they can help you." Her faith that unicorns and especially the Alicorn Princesses could solve any problem was unshakable!

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Radar Dish=color=005a7e

Radar watched and move a little closer when she tucked the cloak and blanket in. Her anme was apparently Lazuli Rose. He smiled up to her, feeling a little comfortable, and meeting a new friend could do that. "Much abwhyjed, Wazuwi Wose, I mean Waz. I'm Wadaw Dish." As she explained the path and the hazards in his way. Also him being hungry, she loooked to his bag and looked sadder. It just clicked into his head how much food he had left. It was very little and the reason he stopped even though he was early into the night before he went to sleep, only to be awaken while the sun was up. His little tummy growled. His wings wrapped around him, looking down, feeling a bit bad. He was hungry, he knew how uch he had left, but he had to let it go until he had moved a bit more. It had to at least last him until the next city. Which now sounded like he was heading to Hollow Shades. He snuggled up a bit more next to Laz and closed his eyes. "You would be an awesome Pwincess."

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Lazuli had to resist the urge to giggle at the little bat, now named Radar. Her, a princess? Princesses could do everything. She couldn't do anything! Even if she hadn't yet uncovered a magical means to turn herself into a unicorn, she would have thought all her hard work might have uncovered SOME magical object by now! True, she didn't want any but the one she needed, but at least she should have FOUND one. Oh well. He was just a baby, lost and alone and needing someone, even just a little wandering filly like herself. Lazuli smiled tenderly at the lump under the blankets, pressed so close against her side. "I'll look after you, Radar..." she murmured, reassuringly. She wasn't very sleepy, but with nothing to do but listen to the wind pick up and howl as a snowstorm raged outside their shelter, and watch the dim light flicker as the thick curtain of vine swished with the storm... even she pulled her head under the blankets and dozed off. When she woke again, she couldn't tell what time it was. The light seemed strange. The noise of the storm was muted now. Snow must be piled over the hole of the den. Lazuli thought about this for a moment before it occurred to her that she could see perfectly well under the covers, and not because of her own shimmering light. Blinking, she peeped her head out. The vines that had sheltered them from the worst of the snow were now embedded in a solid wall of white snow as the wind had thoughtfully piled up a drift against that side of the tree. All very well and good. What was strange was that somehow, despite being winter, despite being buried in snow, the rose vine had inexplicably decided to burst into bloom. And for some reason, the roses it was bearing were blue. And glowing. Puzzled, Lazuli slipped out of the covers, trying to let as little of the warmth of the pocket escape as possible, and tiptoed over to look more closely. Yes. Blue, glowing, roses. In the middle of winter. Was this some kind of special winter rose? A magical, blue, glowing, winter rose? The Crystal filly eyed one of the wonderful flowers, hopefully. There was one thing she knew about roses. Roses are edible. Without any further hesitation, the crystal filly chomped down on one of the florescent flora. The taste was sweet, flowery and enjoyable, but no magical effects happened. It didn't even make her tongue glow blue.

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Radar was a little puzzled at first when lazuli ducked her head under the cover but soon found her going to sleep. The little foal tried to lay down, but ended up tossing and squirming from hunger. His head stayed out of the blanket so he didn't bother his sleeping savior that much. While he was hungry, he couldn't go into the fruit while she slept, that would have been rude. But something started moving in front of them by the fire. A little six legged creature that, as his Uncle used to call them, Crunchy and Satifying. He never had much of a taste for bugs, but he had to eat something. Even he knew two days with nothing to eat was bad. Reaching a hoof out slowly he brought it down on the little thing and scooped it up into his mouth. He didn't much care for the taste, but the crunch was like that of an apple. It even had a bit of a juicy nature as he swallowed. It was somethign but not enough. For most of the night, he stayed curled under the blank, but waited as each little buggy came in front of him. His hoof would pounce forward, and a small snack was made. Each time, he had the same face a toddler had with a bite of brussel sprouts, but knew he couldn't jsut avoid this plate with grit and determination. After a while the tummy growls stopped and he was finally able to curl up. He completely tucked in, head under the balnket and curled up next to Lazuli to sleep when he could. He didn't know how long it had been, such is the thing when you sleep, but he felt a bit of a chill and he woke up, looking out to Lazuli as she ate a rose. When did a rose get there?

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The little crystal filly waited hopefully a moment longer, just in case the magical effect might be a little delayed, then sighed with a wistful smile. Though certainly magical in their sudden and very timely appearance, these blue roses weren't about to turn her into a unicorn. Still, they were quite tasty, and Lazuli suspected that Radar must be at least as hungry as she was. She began nipping the rose blooms off, one by one, mindful of any hidden thorns. When she had collected all but a few that were out of reach, she brought the pile of blossoms to her companion. "These can be eaten, when you find them." Lazuli explained, "And they're pretty good. Normally they come in Red, white, yellow, or pink. I've never seen blue ones before, but they taste just like normal roses." In order to show Radar that it was quite all right, and also because she herself was rather hungry, she bit into another flower. They were chilly to the mouth, but pretty juicy, for flowers, and not at all frozen. Lazuli gave a little shiver. "We'll need to start the fire soon," Lazuli remarked, trying to sound more confident than she felt. She could... usually... get one going with her tinderbox. At least half of the time. If she tried two times, she was a hundred percent certain to get it going, right?

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Radar looked a little confused at first. Why was she collecting flowers with those prickly pointies on them? When she ate one, his eyes widened. So you could eat those leafy bits? Seeing the pile and her eating another one, he tried one. It was juicy like an apple, but had the chill of biting into a watermelon. Plus it sent a shiver down his spine. He looked behind her at the remaining buds and heard her talk of fire. He was never allowed to play with fire. It burned everytime he swiped at it. "I'wa gatha some wood fow the fiya." With a couple wing beats, he flipped up and latched onto the ceiling like area, and climbed around, using his fnags and a bit of a "macho" whirring noise as he pulled roots that hadn't seen soil in a long time, splintered wood, and other pieces of timber off. Each peice landing at least near the circle. Once it looked like they had enough to get a good fire going, maybe. He walked over and snpped off the buds that Lazuli left, dropping down, unfortunatly on his side and gathered them up into the pile.